Griz looking at Vogel, veteran coaches to replace Joerger

Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who was fired this week after the Pacers lost their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, is considered a candidate for the Grizzlies' head job after Griz coach Dave Joerger was fired Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)(Photo: AP)

Former Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel is widely considered a top candidate to replace fired Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger, but the franchise will consider other veteran coaches.

The Griz also will gauge interest in David Blatt, Brian Shaw, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.

The Griz insist that they didn't have a replacement in mind Saturday morning when they terminated Joerger. The search for Joerger's successor will be wide-ranging.

Griz general manager Wallace said a hiring isn't imminent and that the team will cast a wide net that would include NBA assistants as well as college coaches.

'We don't have a guy. We'll talk to people and see how it goes,' Wallace said. 'It's not about dealing from a pre-existing category. It's about finding the right guy. We're very much in the preliminary stages.'

Wallace called Joerger early Saturday morning to inform him that someone else would lead the team.

And after allowing an unproven NBA head coach in Joerger to guide the franchise the last three seasons, the Griz seem poised to turn to an experienced leader.

Another criterion is that the next coach must be fully committed to reshaping the Griz, which is one characteristic management believed Joerger lacked.

The process of finding a new Griz coach began early Saturday morning. By 9 a.m., the Griz had announced that Joerger wouldn't return for the 2016-17 season despite having one guaranteed year left on his contract.

Joerger didn't respond to telephone messages, but his agent, Warren LeGarie, said the decision was shocking. Joerger, though, has sought to interview for another NBA head job while under contract for the second time in two years.

Reports indicate that Joerger is a top candidate to fill the Sacramento Kings' head coaching vacancy. Joerger received permission to interview with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014 — just one season after replacing Lionel Hollins as Griz head coach.

Vogel is viewed as a viable replacement given his history with Wallace. Vogel's first NBA job was as a video coordinator for Rick Pitino with the Celtics in Boston while Wallace was their general manager. Vogel, though, has drawn interest from the New York Knicks after spending from late in the 2010 season until 2016 guiding the Pacers. Vogel was 250-181 as Indiana's coach.

The Knicks could outbid the Griz for his services.

Shaw last was head coach for the Denver Nuggets for two seasons until he was fired in 2015. Blatt coached the Cleveland Cavaliers before he was let go earlier this season.

Jackson hasn't coached since 2014, when he was fired after helping build the Golden State Warriors into a championship contender. Jackson became a broadcast commentator for ESPN and ABC alongside Van Gundy and play-by-play man Mike Breen.

Van Gundy, a former Knicks coach, last coached in the NBA for the Houston Rockets from 2003-07.

'We're looking at available candidates,' Wallace said. 'It's much like the draft where you call upon all of your sources. Of course, you cross paths with people in this business. I won't go into any specifics, but our process will be thoughtful and comprehensive.'